What are your secret ways to get ready for autumn and winter? October 2024 Newsletter

October 2024 Newsletter

Are you ready to take on a task with long-haul implications? Do you love a challenge? 

Here’s one: reduce or eliminate sick days this winter!

What are your secret ways to get ready for autumn and winter? 

Balance: Rest and Effort

A question that has been coming up in the past few weeks while I’m quiet, hiking, or both is, “Am I trying hard enough while resting and rejuvenating when necessary?” There’s such a fine line between the two ways of being. Summer can leave time to connect with friends. Who did you visit with that helped fill your cup? It takes organization and dedication to make gatherings happen (effort), and the reward fills my heart (rest and regroup). I visited with dear friends. When was the last time you connected and picked up a conversation where you last left it? 

Connections with friends and loved ones in the summer can prepare us for the darker months of the year when we might not have as many opportunities to see our community. 

Hike like a deer

Hiking this summer included a bit of trail running. Instead of feeling reckless, running on these beloved hiking trails helped me to focus on each step. When did you last feel like a deer leaping through the woods? Do you feel grounded while walking among the trees? I noticed how much use the paths get in the White Mountains. Rain washes away the topsoil, exposing beautiful roots as a reminder to stay rooted in life. 

While jogging up and down the routes (effort), I listen for the silence among the mammals and birds calling. What do you hear when you pause along your footpath? Are you alone? I took a sunrise hike with a friend for a memorable walk before many others were up, and my heart was filled at the top (rest). 

Which events were the highlights of your summer? Did you have a buddy or go solo? 

There must have been a million acorns on one trail. Is this a sign of a hard winter ahead of us? How do you prehabilitate for winter? 

Reckless or challenging? If careful and daring, connections in nature and with others stabilize our immunity to illness. 

Elder: my bff

I found a new health food store in a town nearby. Instead of buying elderberry syrup for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and memory-boosting qualities, I purchased dried elderberries and made (an effort) a tonic of fresh ginger, mint, and elderberries. Bring two quarts of water and herbs to a boil, simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, add a little honey, and drink this for the past few days. Suitable for the immune and digestive systems. Invigorating and refreshing (rest).

Look back on summer and ahead to winter. What’s the best use of autumn as a precursor for the cold and dark that’s coming? This fall, tap into the tree of life for many plant-based remedies. 

Do you know how to be like Goldilocks? Push, not too hard. Rest, not too long. 

Reckless or challenging? If careful and daring, connections in nature and with others boost our autumnal immunity, preparing us for a luscious winter. 

Winter is coming. Use the natural push and pull of effort and rest to prepare. Let’s settle into an end-of-autumn conversation about your hopes and dreams for a sickness-free winter.